I am running amarok 1.1.1 on gentoo unstable with kde 3.3.1 (the amarok ebuild is unmasked using /etc/portage/package.unmask).
Whenever I start amarok it crashes with following log messages:
As you can see I killed all artstd instances before I started amarok. More tries revealed that it does not make a difference if artsd is running already or not.
The amarok window appears for about a second before the application is crashing

However, if I edit amarokrc to start with the "void-engine" enabled, I can later switch back to the arts-engine using the config dialog and amarok will run fine.

The log message in the console window are as follows:

($:~)- amarok
[amaroK loader] connecting to /home/sabine/.kde/socket-sabine/amarok.loader_socket
[amaroK loader] amaroK not running. Trying to start it..
amarok: [PluginManager] Plugin trader constraint: [X-KDE-amaroK-framework-version] == 3 and [X-KDE-amaroK-plugintype] == 'engine'and [X-KDE-amaroK-name] == 'void-engine' and [X-KDE-amaroK-rank] > 0
amarok: [PluginManager] Trying to load: libamarok_void-engine_plugin
amarok:
amarok: PluginManager Service Info:
amarok: ---------------------------
amarok: name :
amarok: library : libamarok_void-engine_plugin
amarok: desktopEntryPath : amarok_void-engine_plugin.desktop
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-plugintype : engine
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-name : void-engine
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-authors : (Max Howell,Mark Kretschmann)
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-rank : 1
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-version : 1
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-framework-version: 3
amarok:
amarok: [PluginManager] Plugin trader constraint: [X-KDE-amaroK-framework-version] == 3 and [X-KDE-amaroK-plugintype] == 'engine'and [X-KDE-amaroK-name] == 'arts-engine' and [X-KDE-amaroK-rank] > 0
amarok: [PluginManager] Trying to load: libamarok_artsengine_plugin
amarok:
amarok: PluginManager Service Info:
amarok: ---------------------------
amarok: name : aRts-Treiber
amarok: library : libamarok_artsengine_plugin
amarok: desktopEntryPath : amarok_artsengine_plugin.desktop
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-plugintype : engine
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-name : arts-engine
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-authors : (Mark Kretschmann)
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-rank : 200
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-version : 1
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-framework-version: 3
amarok:
amarok: WARNING: aRtsd not running.. trying to start
Launched ok, pid = 17390
amarok: [PluginManager] Unloading library: libamarok_void-engine_plugin
[amaroK loader] startup successful.
[amaroK loader] exiting.
(sabine@sabine)(16/pts/1)(16:43:06:Sa Okt 30)-
($:~)- KCrash: Application 'amarok' crashing...

Currently there is a crash with arts in cvs, but there is no current maintainer for the arts soundsystem.

It seems that nothing will be done unless somebody is found to maintain it.

Why don't you try gstreamer?

Yeah, I will try that. I am still using artsd for KDE, as I have not found a way to get knotify sounds working without running arts.

Unfortunately, arts seems to block the soundcard even when your using alsa, but I'll try and get something running.

gstreamer is stubbornly refusing to work on my system, probably because I don't haven't installed gnome installed.

I give up and continue using juk instead

use xine, it works better anyways.

eean wrote:

use xine, it works better anyways.

Can you elaborate on what aspect of GStreamer troubles you?

Well, I am using artsd for KDE. I have set up a dmixed/multiplexed alsa device as described here

For whatever reason, gstream is not able to connect to this device, I guess that is because artsd is sort of "blocking" access to the device.

Even if artsd is not running a
gst-launch sinesrc ! alsasink
fails with a cryptic error about an unsatisfied assertion after playing the sinewave for just about 1/4 second.

You need to specify "dmix" as device in the engine settings.

Oh, I did that, to no avail. The problem seems to be gstreamer itself, as even the simple testcases mention in the official gstreamer FAQ fail to work for me. I don't have gnome installed, but normally that should not be the problem. I really think the artsd is somehow blocking the alsa devices preventing all other apps accessing the dmix/duplex device.

Btw, does anybody know why recent gentoo gstreamer ebuilds don't install the arts modules anymore?

I tried amarok again today. This time it seems to work. Thanks for that advice to set the gstreamer alsasink device to "dmix". I thought I had tried that already but maybe I spelled the device name wrongly. However, gstreamer output works fine now. Artsd is running as well (with output device set to "duplex" and not dmix, maybe that's solving that blocking problem). Simultaneous output from both juk and amarok works fine, too (and sounds really weird *ggg*).

Thx for all you help, I am sure I am going to love this app